Logo descriptions by Matt Williams, Kris Starring, and V of Doom Logo
captures by Eric S., V of Doom, Wisp2007, and snelfu
Background: Touchstone Home Entertainment (formerly "Touchstone Home Video") is the home entertainment arm of Touchstone Pictures established in 1985 to distribute all Touchstone releases on video.
1st Logo
(1984-1986)
Nicknames: "Still Thunderball", "Thunderball", "Touchstone Thunderball"
Logo: On a white background, we see the Touchstone thunderball from the first movie logo. Below it is "TOUCHSTONE", with "HOME VIDEO" underneath. The logo fades out after 15 seconds.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Extremely rare. Seen only on early video releases of the first Touchstone movies, such as Splash, Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, and My Science Project among others.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo
(1986-1987 [United States]; 1986-Early 1990s [United Kingdom])
Nicknames: "Flashing Thunderball", "Thunderball II", "Metallic Thunderball" "Touchstone Thunderball II"
Logo: At the bottom of the screen is a circle beside the words "TOUCHSTONE HOME VIDEO", all made out in 80s computer effects. The text lights up section by section, like a flashlight, and when the "light" reaches the circle, the circle flashes and the gold stone appears on top.
Variants:
- On a few videos, this logo was seen with the words "COMING SOON FROM" in blue above the main logo. In addition, the music was slightly sped-up and louder.
- On Australian releases the logo is positioned in the middle of the screen. For the closing variant, the logo is in the same position with the words "DISTRIBUTED BY" in white underneath. After the music ended, it cuts out, so the Australian video distributor, Roadshow Home Video logo plays as normal.
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The 80s computer effects, the "light" effects.
Music/Sounds: Same as the theatrical logo.
Availability: Rare. Only seen on 1986-87 Touchstone videos. Some videos that include this logo are Down and Out In Beverly Hills, Tin Men, and Ruthless People. This was used into the early 1990s on UK releases such as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.
Scare Factor: Minimal, elevated to low to medium on the "COMING SOON FROM" version.
3rd Logo
(1987-2003)
Nicknames: "The Snake", "Thunderball III", "Touchstone Thunderball III", "Thunderball Snake"
Logo: Same as the movie logo, only "HOME VIDEO" replaces "PICTURES".
Variants:
- The Home Video version, although being filmed as seen by the picture quality, is telecined to videotape.
- The positioning of the logo varies.
- Starting in 1998, a new variant was made to coincide with the introduction of the DVD format. The picture quality was improved over the eariler variant, and the words "HOME VIDEO" were replaced with "HOME ENTERTAINMENT". Oddly, a small majority of DVDs feature this variant as most use the eariler Home Video version; though later VHS releases used this towards the end of 2003.
- "NOW YOU CAN OWN YOUR FAVORITE HIT MOVIES..." appeared over the logo on various releases.
FX/SFX: Same as the movie logo.
Music/Sounds: Again, same as the movie logo. Sometimes the music abruptly stops before the logo actually ends.
Music/Sounds/Voice-over Variants:
- Occasionally, the "HOME VIDEO" version will have an announcer speak over the logo, "Now you can own these hit titles from Touchstone Home Video!", and bring forth previews of other titles.
- On the 1990 VHS of Stakeout, the announcer has a different voiceover saying "Now you can own this hit title from Touchstone Home Video.".
- On the original VHS release of Pretty Women, this logo has the standard version of the music, because it plasters over the Touchstone Pictures logo!
Availability: Common. Seen on most Touchstone releases like Ransom, 3 Ninjas, Beaches, Phenomenon and Adventures in Babysitting, although the Home Entertainment variant is rare and can be found on some DVDs and later VHS releases like Gone In 60 Seconds, Bringing Down the House, Bicentennial Man and later prints of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Scare Factor: Low. The ominous nature of the logo might get to people, as well as the twang and electricity effects.
4th Logo
(2003- )
Nicknames: "Thunderball IV", "CGI Golden-Light Thunderball", "Touchstone Thunderball IV", "CGI Touchstone Thunderball"
Logo: Same as the current movie logo, only "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" replaces "PICTURES".
Variant: Beginning in 2011, on Blu-Rays, the logo is already formed with the thunderball shining forward and backward. Silent throughout.
FX/SFX:
- 2003- (DVD: 2003-; VHS: 2004-2006): Same as the current movie logo.
- 2011- (Blu-Rays) : Just the thunderball shining.
Music/Sounds: The previous logo's theme (even though this was discontinued on theatrical releases since 2003).
Availability: Appears on all current Touchstone releases.
Scare Factor: Same as the current movie logo.